Seasonal Movements of Striped Bass Contingents of Long Island Sound and the New York Bight

Recaptures of striped bass, Morone saxatilis, tagged along the northeast Atlantic coast of the United States from 1959 to 1963 gave evidence of varied patterns of seasonal movement of the species. From analysis of distribution patterns of 498 recaptured fish, it is shown that distinguishable contingents of striped bass seasonally inhabit Long Island Sound and coastal waters of the New York Bight. Three groups that appeared to be of Hudson River origin were the Hudson Estuary, Hudson-Atlantic, and Hudson-West Sound Contingents. The origin of a fourth group, the Long Island Sound Contingent, was not evident. Other contingents, of southern or undetermined origin, also appeared in the area from spring to fall. The Hudson River is shown to be a major spawning river and source of recruitment of striped bass populations of Long Island Sound and the New York Bight.